filtration and micro bubbles

Julie V · 05/03/2006, 01:56 PM

Need advice on micro bubbles and filtration. Here's what I have:

Tank is just about 3 months old.

37 gal. ViaAqua
3 inches of LS
35 lbs of LR
Cascade Internal filter (175gph)
Rio 180 (120gph)
Aqua C remora skimmer w/ maxijet 1200 (295gph)
Small HOB CPR refugium w/ baseball size amount of chaeto

1 clown, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 scooter blenny, assorted hermits and snails

The floss in the internal filter is changed every other day.
The cpr refugium is 3 days old.
I change 30 % of the water once a week.
No3 is 20 ppm.
I have good water mov't maybe too much even though sand is stationary but lots of micro bubbles.

I'd like to remove the mechanical filtration but I'm afraid too because it does a good job of removing uneaten food, (I'm still overfeeding a bit). Am I obssesing over nitrates? Should I be worried about the micro bubbles? Do I have too much unnecessary filtration.

I would appreciate anyone's advice. I just want to make sure I'm on the right track.

(btw, the Scooter Blenny eats frozen BS, baby brine that I gut load and I have a 10gal copepod tank)

Thanks in advance

Bri Guy · 05/04/2006, 11:46 AM

Sounds like you take good care of your water quality which we must do in this hobby, the micro bubbles wont hurt anything, just not nice to look at, are they coming from your skimmer? do you have a sump? So you know I only do 30% a month so you are doin plenty.

crumbletop · 05/04/2006, 11:57 AM

If the microbubbles are coming from the skimmer, you can use the skimmer box for the remora and this reduces them quite a bit.

Jack

Julie V · 05/04/2006, 12:37 PM

Thanks Jack and podheadx.

I just received the skimmer box and had to order longer screws from Remora. The screws that came with it would not hold up the box. Now that I have installed the HOB refugium, there's not much room, plus the clown sleeps in the overflow from the skimmer. He just kills me because he looks like he's riding a mechanical bull.
Relieved to know that bubbles will not hurt the fish. I had read that they would irritate them. OK I'll relax!
Thanks again guys

05/03/2006, 01:56 PM	#1
Julie V Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ft Worth, Texas Posts: 11	filtration and micro bubbles Need advice on micro bubbles and filtration. Here's what I have: Tank is just about 3 months old. 37 gal. ViaAqua 3 inches of LS 35 lbs of LR Cascade Internal filter (175gph) Rio 180 (120gph) Aqua C remora skimmer w/ maxijet 1200 (295gph) Small HOB CPR refugium w/ baseball size amount of chaeto 1 clown, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 scooter blenny, assorted hermits and snails The floss in the internal filter is changed every other day. The cpr refugium is 3 days old. I change 30 % of the water once a week. No3 is 20 ppm. I have good water mov't maybe too much even though sand is stationary but lots of micro bubbles. I'd like to remove the mechanical filtration but I'm afraid too because it does a good job of removing uneaten food, (I'm still overfeeding a bit). Am I obssesing over nitrates? Should I be worried about the micro bubbles? Do I have too much unnecessary filtration. I would appreciate anyone's advice. I just want to make sure I'm on the right track. (btw, the Scooter Blenny eats frozen BS, baby brine that I gut load and I have a 10gal copepod tank) Thanks in advance

05/04/2006, 11:46 AM	#2
Bri Guy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin Posts: 2,995	Sounds like you take good care of your water quality which we must do in this hobby, the micro bubbles wont hurt anything, just not nice to look at, are they coming from your skimmer? do you have a sump? So you know I only do 30% a month so you are doin plenty. __________________ For my birthday i got a humidifier and a de-humidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out. (Steven Wright) Current Tank Info: 40BR w/ 250w 14K Phoenix + 192w PC, 10g fuge w/ 55w PC, 10g sump, Eheim 1250 return w/ SCWD, ASM Mini G skimmer, Gravity fed ATO, Kalk doser, 1/10 HP chiller, 1 Vortec + 3MJs, all on an AC Jr. - Born on date 8-06 Pics in gallery! + 55g FOWLR w/ macro

05/04/2006, 11:57 AM	#3
crumbletop Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 4,718	If the microbubbles are coming from the skimmer, you can use the skimmer box for the remora and this reduces them quite a bit. Jack __________________ "Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before." - GK Chesterton Current Tank Info: 90 gallon AGA RR. 20 gal sump. 6x54W T5. AquaController Jr.

05/04/2006, 12:37 PM	#4
Julie V Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ft Worth, Texas Posts: 11	Thanks Jack and podheadx. I just received the skimmer box and had to order longer screws from Remora. The screws that came with it would not hold up the box. Now that I have installed the HOB refugium, there's not much room, plus the clown sleeps in the overflow from the skimmer. He just kills me because he looks like he's riding a mechanical bull. Relieved to know that bubbles will not hurt the fish. I had read that they would irritate them. OK I'll relax! Thanks again guys